Cab-over-engine gearshift means



Sept. 9, 1941. G. M. BEIMER CAB-OVERENGINE GEARSHIFT MEANS Filed D60. 24, 1940 4 SheQLs-S'nvet l INVENTOR Sept- 9, 1941- G. M. BEIMER 2,255,643

CAB-OVER-ENGINE GEARSHI FT MEANS Filed Dec. 24, .1940 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 9, 1941- G. M. BEIMER 2,255,643

CAB-OVER-ENGINE GEARSHIFT vMEANS Filed Deo. 24, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 l lNvl-:NTOR @V902/'ge M Een?? en ATTORNEY Sept 9, 1.941 G. M. BEIMER 2,255,643

AB-OVERTENGINE GEARSHIFT MEANS Filed Dec. 24, 1940 l1 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR @afg/e M ezmerx ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 9, 1941 CAB-OVER-ENGINE GEARSHIFT MEANS George M. Beimer, Lodi, N. J., assigner to Couse Laboratories, Inc., Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 24, 1940, Serial No. 371,535

6 Claims. r(VCI. i4-473) This invention relates to a new and improved type of hand gear shift especially adapted to be used in cab-over-engine construction.

In the early forms of trucks, the drivers seat or cab was placed back of the engine in about the same manner as in automobiles; that is to say, substantially over the transmission located in the rear of the engine. In order to get more room for the truck body, later designs of trucks have moved the cab forward over the engine and this has brought about some complications in the gear-shift arrangement. The usual practice for this arrangement is to use a hand-shifting lever connected to a selector box from which a plurality of rods, usually two, extend rearwardly from the selector box back to the transmission.

It is the object of my present invention to greatly simplify this kind of gear-shift and thereby cheapen the construction.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new type of gear-shift having its parts very accessible, easily and cheaply maintained and easily operated.

Another object of my invention is to provide, a simplied gear-shift for cab-over-engine construction which may be readily adapted for right or left-hand driving.

A further object of my invention is to provide a gear-shift control for the special purpose described in which the parts are so constructed as to overcome all lost motion and thereby'aid in the accuracy of the translation of the movements of the hand to the engine transmission.

My improved type of gear-shift mechanismy will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus as installed on an engine and its transmission.

Figure 2 is a view locking down on Figure 1 with the cab removed from the engine.

Figure 3 is a view on the line 3 3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a view, part in elevation and part in section, of the hand lever and also showing the portion of the connecting rod which is actuated by the hand lever.

Figure 5 is a view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a view on the line B-- of Figure 4. Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4, but taken at right angles thereto. Figure 8 is a view on the line 8 8 of Figure 1. Figure 9 is a View on the line 9-9 of Figure 8. Figure 10 is a View on the line lU-IIJ of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a view on the line Ii-ll of 'Figure 8.

Figure 12 is a View on the line IZ-IZ of Figure 1.

Figure 13 is a view on the line l3--I3 of Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a view on the line llt-i4 of Figure 15.

Figure l5 is a view on the line |5-I5 of Figure 12.

Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing a modified form of construction.

In the various views, wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts, l is an engine having a drivers seat or cab 2 positioned thereover. Mounted on the side of the engine I is a bracket 3 having a stud 4 projecting therefrom. The stud 4 is hollow and positioned within the base of the hollow portion is a spring 5. against which rests a bearing member 6 provided with a short stem 1 projecting within the spring 5 to centralize and guide it.

A screw-threaded member 8 is threaded into the outer end of the stud 4 and is provided with a cup-shaped recess to receive one side of a ball 9 of a lever I .'3. There is a hole 41 in the side wall of the stud 4 large enough to pass the spherical end 9 of the lever; so by inserting a tool under the bearing member 6 and pushing the same away from the lever, the same may be readily disconnected from its pivotal mounting. To expedite this operation, a notch 48 is provided to make room for the tool, thereby insuring that the bearing 6 may be moved far enough to allow the quick withdrawal of the pull end of the lever. However, for normal operation, the arcuate or conical surfaces of the bearing member 6 and the inner end of the screw 8, together with the adjustment of the screw 8, are such as to prevent the lever from being accidentally drawn from its seat. The lever l0 has a hand-grip knob l l for operating the lever which, as just described, is pivotally mounted through the medium of the ball .9 between the bearing member 6 and the cup recess in the screw 8.

The knob Il has a threaded stem I2 screwed into the upper end of the lever I0. A finger latch I3 is positioned on the outer surface and at the end of the lever l0, and has a pin I4 operatively located in a slot I5 in the side wall of the hollow lever l0. The pin I4 projects into a block IB and is fastened therein 'by a screw stud Il which is reached through the end of the lever Il) when the knob Il is removed. Y

Positioned between the block |6- and the threaded end I2 of the knob is a spring I3 which is quite strongly compressed by the knob l I when V32'and a recess 45 formed in the stud33.

it is screwed into position in the lever I0. Connected to the block I6 by means of a stud I9 is a flexible cable or Bowden Wire 2D. The stud I9 is held in place by a set screw 2l It will be seen thatall of these parts are readily accessible on rel ythe ball S the lever may be of solid material and welded at the point 22 to a flattened area of the tubular lever IIJ, but in either case, whether the lever IE) be hollow all thewayV downto theV ball end 9, or solid from the vpoint 22. down to the ball 9, therek is a fiat portion 23 formed in thelever. The flat portion 23 has considerable surface area to make a large bearing-surface'for thus protected from injury or misplacement, and is so guided through the opening 43 and the cutaway portions at the lever end of the connecting rod 26, and the orice 4d at the opposite end of the connecting rod and through the guide hole in the head 38 of the pin 31, that it may be easily operated to control the latch associated with the transmission.

As shown in Figure 16, the support for the lower end of the shift lever Il) may be mounted on some part of the chassis or body of the truck instead of on the engine, in which case a differlent style of bracket, as illustrated at 4E, is used,

. but the `gear-shift lever I will be substantially the two parts 24 and 25 of the hollow connecting A `rod 26 which is pivoted by the stud or'pinl 21 whichpreferably has an integral head 2B at one end, and a hole for a cotter pin 29 at the yother end, awasher 3i! being used between the cotter pin and the flange 25. The flange portionsV 24 and 25 are also of considerable area and fit snugly the opposite sides of the fiat portion 23fof the lever I0, thereby producing a pivotal joint having large laterally engaging surfaces which eliminate all lost motion at this joint.

The connecting rod'26, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, extends diagonally inwardly from the pivot point 21 to a point over or adjacent the transmission 3|. The transmission has a gearshift member 32 from which extends a connecting stud 33 terminating in a portion 34 having considerable area to cooperate with the anges 35 and 36 of the connecting rod 26. The flanges 35 andY 36 are, similar to the flanges 24 and 25, of` considerable area and iit snugly around the portion 33 which is pivotally mounted on theV pin 'orstud 31, having a head 38. which is preferably Welded to a plate 39 which, in turn, isfastened as by a screw 4B to the ange 38. The stud 31 is held in place by a Washerll! anda cotter pin 42.

The head .of the stud 31 has a clearance hole thereinY for the `cablejor wire 2i) which passes through an -oricel43 closely adjacent the pivot 21A and 'into thel connecting rod 2S andv comes through a hole 44 adjacent the plate 39, and on through the hole in the head of the pin 31 and into the transmission 3| by way of the gear-shift The end` ofthe wire 2i) .engages a latch within the transmissionto lock the member-33 in reverse position. only.; otherwise, the gear-shift is standard.

Since thislatchand .the internal mechanism of the transmission form no part of the present invention, they are notfurther described herein'.

Suce it to say that the spring I8, acting lagainst the block IS, pushes on the wire 2i)v and holds the latch within the transmission continulously in locking position, so `when it is necessary to shift gears, the latch`l3 is pulled upwardly to release Vthe latch in the transmission and thereby ,holdV the gear-shift lever It and the connecting rod 2.6.to `be operated, to shift the member 33y the same a'sheretofore described.

`It willY be readily seen, from what has been said, that the gear-shift lever may be mounted on either side of the engine for right or left-hand operation. Furthermore, certain of the details may be varied without departing from the spirit of my. invention or-the scope ofthe appended claims. y 1

What I claim is: Y1.7 A-cab-over-engine gear-shift means, comprising an operating lever havinga hand grip, a pivotal support for the lever at a position to one side of the-enginey and below the cab, the said lever terminating-in a spherical formation while the said support comprises a bracket having a projectingv hollow stud witha hole in its wall large enough to passthe spherical formation of the lever, a spring-pressedbearing member engaging the-said formation on one side and a screw inthe end of the stud havingv a bearing surface engaging said lever formation on the side opposite to saidv spring-pressed member, a connecting rodhaving one endpivotally connected/,to said lever intermediateits endsand Vextending diagonally inwardly to a point adjacent vthe transmission and terminating in an end having two'large flat surfaces, a gear shiftingV member going into the transmission and extending upwardly from the transmission and .terminating in a. member having a relatively large flat surface for engagement with said large iiat surface on .the end of the connecting rod, a pivot pin going through all of said surfaces and non-rotatablyfastened to the rod, the pin having aY guide hole in one end, a latch-pull carried by saidlever adjacentthe hand grip and a flexible pull-wire having considerable stiiness longitudinally of its length fastened to the latch-pull and extending along the lever and connecting rod and through said guide hole in said pin to va latch at th transmission. V Y

2. A cab-over-engine gear-shift means, comprising an operating lever having a handigripv,v a pivotal support for the lever at a .positionto one side of the engine and belowrthe cab, said lever being hollowf from the hand grip Yto at least a point a considerable distance below the grip, the lever having a iiat portion-of substantial-f area intercepting the hollow part, a hollow connecting rod having spaced flanges of considerable area fitting on opposite sides of said leverflat portion and/pivoted thereto, the rod also having spaced flanges at its Opposite end, a gear-shift member extending from aY transmission and having a portion with relatively large oppositely disposed surfaces fitting between the last-mentioned flanges of -thelconnecting rod, Va pin for `holding V.these flanges and gear-shiftfmember Vparts together, a latch-pull slidably carried by said lever adjacent the'jgripv Vand a pull-wire operatively attached low part of the lever into the hollow rod and thence directly to a latch associated with the transmission.

3. A gear-shift means as set forth in claim 2, further defined in that the operative attachment between the pull-wire and latch-pull includes a block fitting within the upper end of the said lever, a pin going into both the block and latchpull, releasable means carried by the block for holding the pin in place, and means for anchoring the pull-Wire to the block.

4. A gear-shift means as set forth in claim 2, further defined in that the operative attachment lbetween the pull-wire and latch-pull includes a block fitting within the upper end of the said lever, a pin going into both the block and latchpull, releasable means carried by the block for holding the pin in place, means for anchoring the pull-wire to the block, and a spring between the block and hand grip for normally holding the latch-pull and pull-wire in latching position.

5. A gear shift means as set forth in claim 1 further dened in that, the wall of the hole in said stud toward the spring has a notch therein to provide space for a lifting tool which may be used to force the spring-pressed bearing memloer away from the spherical formation of the lever whereby a quick disconnection of the lever from its bearing may be assured.

6. A transmission gear-shift means including a lever having a hand grip at its free end and pivotally mounted at a considerable distance from the transmission, a connecting rod pivotally connected to the lever intermediate its ends through the medium of large-area closely-engaging surfaces with a pivot pin passing therethrough, a gear-shifting member going into the transmission and having its outer end jointed to the said rod through closely nter-engaging surfaces with a joint pin going therethrough, a latch-pull slidably carried on the free end of the lever, cooperative means within the lever and fastened to the latch-pull, a stiff wire or cable attached to said cooperative means and extending through the lever to a point near the rod pvot thereon where it leaves the lever and enters the rod through which it extends to a point near the opposite end of the rod, and means for guiding the Wire or cable from the rod downwardly to a latch in the transmission.

GEORGE M. BEIMER. 

